Actor styles

The following three actors are from the movie Saving Private Ryan that was released in 2011 who resemble specific character types.

Tom Hanks: According to Goodykoontz & Jacobs (2011), he is considered to be a character actor because he is able to develop and portray the characters role in the script. This could be potentially helpful in obtaining bigger acting roles. An example from the movie is when he is sitting on the rock and is crying after he looks at a picture of his family. Since he is able to be a universal actor, he was chosen to be one of the main characters in the film.

Vin Diesel: He is considered to be a personality actor because he has a strong personality and usually lands the same acting role film after film. A few examples from the movie that show how his strong character is when they are walking as a squad a he makes a unnecessary comment and when he is recusing the little girl in the village.

Matt Damon: He is considered a wild card actor because he is able to play a wide variety of characters. He has been in a plethora of films ranging from action in Bourne Identity or a family film like Happy feet. It could impact characterization in somewhat of a negative way because it takes a lot of time and skill to take on different character roles.

The actor that would most likely be placed in the same category in other films would be Vin Diesel because his strong willed character is able to defeat the “bad” guys. This says a lot about an actor to where he could be considered for a lot of films, but on the other hand be restricted to what films he acts in. As he is known to be in action and/or adventure films, it would be different to see him act in a fantasy or science fiction, knowing his acting history, etc.

Reference:

Goodykoontz,B. & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Categories of sound

There are three basic categories of sound that are displayed in this movie; dialogue, sound effects, and music. The dialogue in film is a conversation between two or more characters who often build a connection throughout the movie (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). In the movie, there is a scene where the squad is walking through the fields creating “small talk” while heading to the village. The second category is sounds effects, in which make action scenes seem realistic. For example, in this movie a Soldier was sitting on the ground firing shots, while a tanker was fast approaching. These sounds effects in this scene helped establish the horrific environment that they encountered. Lastly, music in a film sets the mood or tone of the film because it helps relate the audience with each scene. In the final scene, it is seen showing the old man remembering Captain Miller. The music is very calming and subtle and leads one to think in remembrance of him and many of the Soldiers lost during that battle.

Moreover, the different categories of sound are used throughout each scene to enhance the understanding of what actually happened during the journey to finding Private Ryan. For instance, when there was not any conflict with foreigners there was just dialogue, however, when they were engaging the enemy there were strong sound effects and dialogue.

The overall use of sound is very important in any film and/or genre. This is because it helps the transitioning of scenes much easier to establish. Since this movie is based off of action, the specific sounds that relate to this genre is when a dramatic action scene is about to occur. In the movie a prime example of this is when they are in the village looking for the sniper and all of a sudden one of the Soldiers is shot. This leads us to think that a fire fight is going to happen. Likewise, the sound effects in this movie seemed generally realist and expected. It constantly helped make a connection with the characters in each scene.

If the scenes were played any differently, it would be less interesting and it would be hard for the audience to understand what was happening or about to happen. I think with the different levels of sound and effects it made it that much more interesting to keep watching. All in all, this movie resembled each of the three categories of sound that made it that much more real.

Goodykoontz,B. & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

The lighting

The two types of lighting used in this film would be a combination of low-key and high-key lighting. The difference between the two types of lighting is that low-key lighting is based off of shadows and high-key lighting is the light overall (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). For example, in the beginning of the movie as they were approaching the beach of Normandy, the light gets very dim, which signified their fear of fighting the upcoming battle.

The benefits of this style of lighting sets the tone of the scene and the audience is able to connect and/or reflect on the scenes. As the scenes changes, so did the lighting, especially when a dramatic event was going to occur. This allowed one to get a sense of what they were feeling at the exact moment. Also, when using low-key lighting in this film one could predict that something was about to happen.

This technique was a huge contribution to the theme because it allowed the audience to not only see history, but to see and feel their pain. By using this technique it creates a sense of mystery that transitions into the next scene. For example, when they were leaving the base it was light and calm and by the time they had gotten to the unmarked village it was raining.

The combination of the two types of lighting suited the genre of the film to an extent that it led the audience to believe that it was based on a true story. Likewise, the lighting and lack of editing let one understand the correlation of the time period in which it was shot.

If this film were to be shot with strictly high-key lighting, it would take away the sense of authenticity and its overall meaning. This would create a lot of confusion between scenes and it would ultimately lead to a generic plot line, with the ending given away. Overall, the lighting that was used in this film created an overwhelming sense of realism that one is able to understand.

Reference:

Goodykoontz,B. & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Saving Private Ryan

Title: Saving Private Ryan

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Rodat

Director: Steven Spielberg

Major actors: Tom Hanks (Captain Miller), Tom Sizemore (Sergeant Horvath), Ed Burns (Private Reiben), Matt Damon (Private Ryan), and
Barry Pepper (Private Jackson)

Year released: 1998

The movie, “Saving private Ryan”, enacts the invasion of the U.S. in Europe. Not knowing that three of the four brothers were killed in action, a team of Soldiers are ordered to find the fourth brother, James Francis.

A platoon was ordered to storm the beaches of Normandy in the summer of 1944. Many Soldiers were killed in action and continued to fight against the Germans. One day, a secretary of the Department of War noticed that she was typing death notices for three men in the same family. The fourth son, James Francis, was known to be dropped on the beaches of Normandy before the invasion began. The death letters of the three Ryan brothers was quickly brought to the attention of General George Marshall in which he ordered his officers to locate James Francis for a return home. While on the search to find him, the squad runs into many fire fights with the Germans. An unexpected twist erupts when the squad comes in contact with some Airborne Paratroopers, one identifies himself as Private Ryan. As private Ryan is returning home, General Marshall reads the letter to his mother that he is returning home.  After the return home, Private Ryan often asked for reassurance that he did the right thing in returning home and leaving his comrades in battle. He often visits Miller’s grave and renders a  respectful salute.

The film was presented in chronological order which made a positive effect on the audience. This aesthetic choice made it easy to understand and follow. By the film being in chronological order, it made the transitions within the movie easier to understand what was happening and gave a clearer understanding of our history. The elements of character development are impacted by storytelling methods because without introducing the characters in the beginning of the story can lead to misinterpretations that the author did not want. Also, character development is important in storytelling because if the story is written, it needs to be descriptive so that the reader can fully understand the story. If the film followed a different presentation style, it would of lead to a lot of confusion with the audience. The importance of telling this story in chronological order helps many see what it was like during wartime. Also, by producing this film in a different presentation style, it might have lead to media uproar and the distinct pieces of history could have been lost.

Reference: